No LNG tankers cross Strait of Hormuz since July 11 amid escalating US-Iran conflict

No LNG carriers have transited the Strait of Hormuz since July 11, as the security situation around the strategic waterway continues to deteriorate following Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels and subsequent military exchanges between Iran and the United States.

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According to Kpler data, the Adnoc-operated Al Hamra was the last known LNG carrier to transit the strait on July 11.  It left the MidEast Gulf laden after loading a cargo at Abu Dhabi's 5.8 mtpa Das Island LNG plant on July 7-9.

Al Hamra was the third vessel to cross the Strait after after Iran attacked the QatarEnergy-operated Al Rekayyat and two other commercial vessels on July 7. Prior to its crossing, the QatarEnergy LNG tankers Al Rayyan and GasLog Shanghai crossed into the MIdEast Gulf on July 9, becoming the first two LNG carriers to enter the Gulf after the attack on Al Rekayyat.

The Al Rekayyat was struck by an unidentified projectile near the Omani Coast on July 7, shortly after transiting the strait, prompting a sharp escalation in regional tensions.

Since the July 11 crossing, no LNG carrier has entered or exited the MidEast Gulf, according to Kpler data.

21 LNG carriers remain in the MidEast Gulf

Kpler data show 21 LNG carriers are currently inside the MidEast Gulf. These comprise 13 ballast vessels and five laden carriers, while four vessels are berthed—two at Qatar's 77 mtpa Ras Laffan export terminal, one at the UAE's 5.8 mtpa Das Island LNG terminal and another at Dubai's Jebel Ali port.

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The total excludes the Shandong Redwood, which entered the Gulf on June 26 before switching off its AIS signal four days ago. The vessel was last detected at Ras Laffan anchorage but was no longer visible there in satellite imagery captured on July 12, ccordingt  Kpler LNG data analysts.

The security situation around the Strait has continued to deteriorate in the days since the July 7 attacks, with the United States carrying out multiple rounds of strikes against Iranian military targets that it said were intended to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping. Iran has since responded with retaliatory attacks against US military facilities and allied infrastructure across several Gulf states, further heightening concerns over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has maintained that foreign vessels must be identified and monitored by Iranian forces before transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while indicating restrictions on commercial navigation would remain until security conditions improve. The United States has disputed those claims, saying the strait remains open to lawful international navigation and that US forces will continue protecting commercial shipping.

The disruption is particularly significant because the Strait of Hormuz remains the only maritime export route for Qatari LNG cargoes destined beyond the Middle East Gulf. The waterway is also critical for LNG exports from the UAE.

LNG traffic had begun recovering in June following a ceasefire agreement and renewed US-Iran negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, with Kpler data showing 40 LNG carrier transits through the Strait during the month, compared with eight in May, four in April and none in March.

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